


Family Ties

by Caedmon



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Engagement, F/M, Family Fluff, Flash Fic, Fluff, Heirloom, I cannot stress how fluffy this is, Olicity Flash Fic, Sickeningly Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 17:11:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4145925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caedmon/pseuds/Caedmon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver can't afford Felicity's engagement ring, and Thea arranges for a sweet, touching surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All the usual stuff :)  
> I own nothing but the mistakes, because I have no beta (and believe me, this was written and posted in an hour so mistakes ahoy!)  
> kudos and comments are lifeblood to the muse, so thank you <3  
> clintasha-n-olicity.tumblr.com

"Oliver, you can't do this without a ring," Thea said reasonably. "She's been through entirely too much with you to ask her to marry you with just a smile on your face."

"But Felicity isn't like that, Thea," Roy broke in. "She's sentimental and romantic. She isn't going to be interested in baubles nearly as much as she is Oliver. He's better off to take her to a winery or something and just ask her."

"Better yet, make her an arrowhead necklace like you made Sara," Diggle suggested. "It's beautiful, and Lyla had a fit over it. She was a bit hormonal at the time, but I don't think Felicity would say no to something you took the time to make."

Oliver looked at his friends and family, then buried his face in his hands. "I just want her to say yes," he mumbled from somewhere in his palms. "I'm starting to not care how that comes about."

Roy smirked. "Do you mean to tell me that Oliver Queen, legendary playboy, can't figure out how to romance his girlfriend?"

Oliver's head snapped up, a comeback on his lips but John jumped in the fray, his lip curled at Roy. "Of course not." He turned to grin at Oliver. "Billionaires who look like our boy here just had to point and wiggle a finger and they had all the fun they wanted for the night."

Roy snickered and Thea swatted his shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?"

"This is serious, Roy!"

Diggle clapped Oliver on the shoulder before he buried his face back in his hands. "You guys are assholes."

"Oh, lighten up, Oliver. We're trying to help you marry the woman of your dreams."

"Speaking of," Thea interrupted loudly, stopping the men from carrying on any further, "I still feel like you need a ring."

Oliver raised his head to look at Thea with something like anguish and disbelief mixed in his features. "Thea, are you not getting the point of this conversation?" He asked incredulously. "I can't afford a ring. Not now, not for a while. I'm not using her money to buy her ring. But I don't want to wait to marry her."

Thea said, "but she's taken over the same position that m....oh...I've just figured this out. Give me twenty-four hours."

She grabbed her purse, kissed Oliver on the forehead, gave Roy a quick kiss and threw a "bye" over her shoulder as she ran from the room.

The men looked around the room at each other, dumbstruck. Diggle was the first to speak. "What the hell was that about?"

"I don't know," Roy said, "but I've learned that when she gets that look, it's best to just let her do what she's going to do and stay out of her way. She's a force of nature when she gets like this."

"I'll just say this," Oliver proclaimed quietly with darkening features, "I'll not be taking any money or jewelry from her dear old dad. And that's final."

 

>>>\------>

 

Oliver sat in the top floor of Palmer Industries, now Felicity's company, tinkering on Thea's bow when he heard a crisp but familiar voice behind him. "Oliver, my boy, I thought you had given all of this up?"

Oliver stood abruptly and spun around to see Walter Steele standing in the doorway across the room. "Walter!" he said with genuine delight, shaking his hand warmly. "I'm glad to see you."

"And I, you. May I come in?"

"Of course!" Oliver extended his hand in a sweeping motion, inviting Walter into the workshop Team Arrow had been using as headquarters. "You're always welcome. Just be careful and watch for...well, most everything is dangerous in one way or another."

Walter chuckled. "It seems quite a bit like applied science used to be. No matter, I won't keep you long. I just came by to give you something."

"Oh?" 

Walter searched out a clear space on the counter and laid his briefcase down gingerly. "Yes. You see, Thea came to see me late yesterday evening, and told me of your desire to marry Felicity. I can't tell you how happy that made me. I quite like the girl, and as I still like to think of myself as related to you in some small way, I like to think that by marrying you, she will be in my family. The thought pleases me a great deal."

Oliver said nothing. Walter's entire speech - the fact that he loved Oliver's fiancee, the fact that he still considered Oliver family - all of it, left a bit of a lump in Oliver's throat.

"Thea also spoke to me of your concern about being unable to afford a ring for your bride in your current financial status, having lost Queen Consolidated to Mr. Palmer. She was correct in thinking that I would want to help."

"Oh no, Walter," Oliver interrupted, holding up his hands. "I couldn't possibly take your money. Or a loan from the bank..."

"This isn't money, Oliver." Walter said with finality and authority. Oliver remained silent as Walter opened his briefcase and pulled out a small, green box. "This," he said without looking at Oliver, keeping his eyes on the box, "is your great-grandmother's ring, passed down from Queen to Queen for three generations," he looked to Oliver, "now on to the fourth."

Walter opened the box to reveal a diamond ring nestled in the plush velvet. The ring was luxuriant, an emerald cut diamond surrounded by an intricate filigree around emeralds in a silver metal. Oliver had seen the ring on his mother's hand many times in his life, but not in recent years. He'd forgotten all about its existence. Memories and questions washed over him, but Walter interrupted. 

"When your mother and I divorced she changed her will, but she still left me the custodian of her personal fortune and belongings in case of her death with the understanding that they would all go to the two of you at the appropriate times. In my will, they are all left to you in case of my untimely death. I know that she would have wanted you to have this, without condition."

Oliver just nodded, dumbstruck.

"However, as your stepfather, I am placing my own conditions on the release of this ring to you."

Oliver's head snapped up and he demanded, "what conditions?"

There was a tiny twinkle in Walter's eye although his face was implacable and his tone was impossibly dry when he answered.

"First, I must be invited to the resulting wedding - unless it is the wish of Ms. Smoak that the two of you elope. It truly is my wish to be a part of your lives if you will let me, Oliver. Second - and this is non-negotiable - you must swear to treat her with the utmost care, kindness and love for every day of the rest of your life." 

The smile Oliver gave Walter started very small, just a quirk of one side of the mouth. It ended, however, as big a smile as he ever remembered giving. 

"I think I can agree to both of those."

"And, of course, you could always provide me with grandchildren..." Walter added hopefully.

Oliver chuckled. "We'll have to see about that one."

Walter closed the box and handed it to Oliver. "I've had the ring professionally cleaned and had all the stones checked in their settings. It has been sized to fit Ms. Smoak and is ready for your use." 

Oliver opened the box and looked at it one more time, then closed it. "Walter, I don't know what to say. 'Thank you' seems inadequate."

Walter stepped forward and pulled Oliver into a hug, which Oliver returned tightly, each clapping the other on the back twice.

"Thank you, Walter."

"Congratulations, son. I am proud of you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver asks Felicity an important question, using the family heirloom Walter gave him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never expected that kind of response! So, by popular demand, here's the proposal. :D
> 
> I own nothing (although I wish I owned the ring in question), but the mistakes because I don't have a beta.  
> kudos and comments feed the muse, and are _greatly_ appreciated. This chapter is direct evidence of this.  
>  clintasha-n-olicity.tumblr.com
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I appreciate all of you so much. <3
> 
> Edit: you guys are killing me. 2100 hits in 24 hours... I mean, I know compared to the big names in this fandom that's a drop in the bucket but to me...holy crap you guys.  
> I'm humbled. Thank you. <3

When Felicity had converted the top floor of Palmer Industries into the new headquarters for Team Arrow, she had spared no expense. She'd incorporated a large portion of the floor into a lounge area, her reason being that there were many times that the three of them (and eventually four, then five, etc.) had gotten so wound up that they had just needed some downtime, but needed to stay close at hand in case of emergency. So she had constructed what amounted to an apartment built into the top floor with a kitchen, spacious den, gym (complete with salmon ladder, of course), and a couple of bedrooms - not unlike what you would find at a fire station, just much, much more posh.

All of the current members of Team Arrow were sitting around the den area, eating Chinese food from takeout containers. John, Felicity and sometimes Roy told stories to Laurel and Thea from the days before they knew about or joined Oliver's crusade, and somehow managed to put a humorous spin on life-and-death situations. Felicity was relaying the story of John's first meeting with The Flash and how he had thrown french fries all over himself. All of the women were laughing, wiping tears, Roy was holding his sides and Diggle was laughing uproariously at his own expense.

"Oh, Thea, I wish you could have seen it! He's always so unflappable, then this streak of lightning comes by and all of the sudden Diggle's standing in a rainshower of Big Belly Fries!" Felicity leaned back in her chair, wiping her cheeks. "Even Oliver laughed that time!"

Everyone looked to Oliver. He was hunched over his container of sesame chicken, moving each bit of chicken around with his chopsticks, not really eating. He didn't respond to his name, and the laughter died to giggles, then the occasional chuckle, then silence upon seeing him brood.

"Oliver!" Thea threw her arm out towards him and snapped her fingers, still smiling a bit. Oliver's head jerked upwards. "You're killing the mood. Snap out of it."

"Sorry," he apologized quickly, with zero sincerity. "Lot on my mind." He gave a brittle smile. "What did I miss?"

"The time John met The Flash and threw the fries all over himself," Felicity volunteered, eyeing him carefully.

"Oh. Yeah," he nodded, giving the same tense smile and going back to chasing his food around in the container with the chopsticks. "That was a fun time."

Felicity watched him for a second with knitted brows while Roy, Thea and Diggle looked at each other knowingly. Laurel looked around the room, concerned, looking as if she were about to ask what was going on but opting not to.

"Guys," Felicity asked, her eyes never leaving Oliver, "can you give us the room for a few minutes?"

Roy, Thea, and Diggle sat their food on the coffee table in front of them and stood to leave, still smiling at each other. Laurel looked around the room, disconcerted, and then looked to Oliver. "Ollie, are you..."

"He's fine, Laurel," Thea said, slipping her arm under Laurel's and guiding her gently to her feet and out of the room. "Let's just give them some privacy for a minute, ok?"

Oliver watched them go without looking at Felicity. She noticed something like fear in his eyes. It frustrated her, scared her and made her almost angry.

"Spill it," she said, sitting back against the back of the couch she was on and crossing her long legs.

"Nothing's wrong, Felicity."

"Don't lie to me, Oliver Queen. Something is going on with you, and I want to know what it is. Tell me. _Now_."

"Felicity..."

"Please give me the complete truth. You told me you loved me, you told me you wanted to explore who you really are." Oliver looked up, looked into her eyes. He saw fear there, mixed with the pain of thinking he may have been lying. "I've believed that you were honest when you've been with me, discovering things about yourself. Don't make me distrustful of you now. Don't give me a bunch of half-truths. Don't give me the runaround. Not me. _Not me, Oliver_."

Oliver looked into her eyes for a minute longer, contemplating. He'd imagined walks along the beach, the top of the Eiffel Tower, something romantic. Something worthy of her. But she wanted the truth from him, and anything he told her right now to put her off would be a lie. He couldn't lie to her. He just couldn't.

Then he nodded. "This isn't the way I wanted this to happen, Felicity, but you're right. There is something going on, and we need to talk." Felicity's eyes welled with tears and they spilled almost immediately. Oliver rushed to sit beside her, grabbing the hand that hadn't covered her mouth. "It's not like that, sweetheart, it's okay."

"It's just that every time you say you want to talk, something bad happens..."

He smiled and stroked the back of her hand with his thumbs. "Not this time, Felicity. I promise." He looked over her head for a second and then back to her eyes. "Well, nothing bad from me."

Felicity dropped the hand from her mouth and looked puzzled. "I don't think I understand..."

Oliver took a deep breath and looked over her head at nothing for a second, gathering his thoughts. "Felicity, I've lived a really unusual life. In fact, I've kind of had three lives. First, I was a billionaire playboy douchebag. I could have anything I wanted whenever I wanted, but I was actually miserable. Then, I was an assassin bent on death and resigned to an early grave, and I was _absolutely_ miserable." 

He looked into her eyes. "Then you came along, and agreed to help me with my crusade to save the city and just like that, you saved me. I don't think either of us knew it right away, but you really did. You saved me from an early grave. You saved me from the hell I was living in. You saved me from everything, Felicity." 

"But I was still miserable." He looked down at her hand, where his fingers continued to rub circles and make abstract, mindless patterns. "I fell in love with you, and for the longest time I believed you could never love me back. I could never be worthy of you. I'm still pretty sure I couldn't ever be worthy of you. By some miracle, you fell in love with me, too. And from that, my third life began. In this life that you've given me, I have hope. I have joy. I have a future. I have love. I have everything I never dreamed I would ever have, and it's all because you fell in love with me, too. I never want to lose that."

Felicity wiped her eyes and Oliver let go of her hand long enough to stretch across to the chair he'd been in, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small, embossed leather box. Felicity's hands snapped back up to her mouth. Oliver brought the box in front of Felicity and looked at it, not opening it right away.

"Walter gave this to me day before yesterday. I was hoping to take you somewhere special, but I don't think I can wait and it seems you won't let me." Felicity let out a huff of breath that sounded like a sob but was more likely a laugh. He hoped it was a happy noise, anyway. Oliver continued without looking up, turning the green leather box in his hands, pointing at the embossing. "See the gold emblem on the box? It's the Queen family crest. This was my great-grandmother's. It's been owned by three generations of Queen women now, and if you will accept it, it will have been owned by four generations of Queen women."

Felicity gasped, a wet, sudden and shuddering sound.

Oliver got on both knees before Felicity and maneuvered until her knees hit his abdomen. He looked up then, into her eyes. Various lights from around the room reflected in the wetness of her unshed tears and against her cheeks, making her face sparkle and eyes glitter behind her glasses. "I know that traditionally, you're supposed to get on one knee to do this, but I'm prepared to plead if need be. I want you - _need you_ \- in my life that badly. And you're the smartest person I have ever known in my life, so I know you've figured out what is out a good while ago."

"Say it anyway," Felicity choked out, her hands going up to cover her wet cheeks.

"I guess what I'm getting at is..." Oliver ducked his head, uncharacteristic shyness and anxiety taking hold for a moment before he looked back up at Felicity and opened the box, revealing the diamond filigree ring Walter had given him. 

"Felicity Megan Smoak, will you be my wife?"


End file.
